Reading shows potential for season-best result for Morgan

READING, PA – Despite his early season woes, Pro Stock driver Larry Morgan spent the first two days of the NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway inching himself within a couple of thousandths of the fast half of the field.

Making improvements with every run, especially after the Saturday morning weather, Morgan raced his way to the No. 13 spot during the last session with a 6.575-second pass at 209.88 mph in his Lucas Oil Ford Mustang. Morgan will look to turn the win lights on in the first round of eliminations when he takes on No. 4 Allen Johnson.

“We were at a disadvantage definitely heading into Q3,” Morgan said. “We we’re the first Pro Stock car down the right lane after the rain delay this morning. We had no idea what to expect and I had no idea what the car was going to do.

“It was a good run and a better run than we had made earlier, but I knew we were going to still be alright.”

With four clean runs throughout qualifying in its entirety, it marked nine clean passes in a row that the Lucas Oil team hasn’t had to face major adversity before the next time the Ford Mustang goes on track. While that is a positive, it can also be a nuisance for the veteran Morgan.

“It’s been another clean weekend for us,” Morgan said. “I think this is the first time all year we have had two weekends back to back of no major issues to fix or needing to qualify in the last session. It’s been nice to know what it’s like not to have to worry, but I’d be lying if I said it makes the weekend any easier.

“At least before we had obvious problems, but now we have minor issues that aren’t the easiest to spot. We’ll be alright though in round one, just you watch.”

Eliminations will start at approximately noon, Sunday, with both qualifying and elimination action broadcast on ESPN2 on tape-delay basis.